Westboro, MassachusettsJune 1961

Insufficient Data

Summary

On the evening of June 4, 1961, a resident of Westboro, Massachusetts reported seeing a light moving back and forth across the sky at a low angle, roughly 20 degrees above the horizon. The witness said the light appeared orange at times and seemed to shine downward like a searchlight. The object moved in a varied path and occasionally gave the impression of hovering motionless.

The witness observed the light for about 20 to 30 minutes. The Air Force's investigation noted that a small airport was located in the area where the sighting took place. The case file states that the flight path and speed of the object were consistent with an aircraft, and that the light could be explained as landing lights or as a brilliant searchlight. A red light was likely the aircraft's running light.

The Air Force concluded that the sighting was probably a misidentification of an aircraft. The case file notes that only the lights were visible to the witness, with nothing else to suggest the object was anything other than an ordinary plane. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, consisting of 17 pages.

Reported location

Westboro, Massachusetts

Date of incident

June 1961

State / country

MA / US

Page count

17 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 42

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 17

View transcribed text

| 8
3 ' PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
1. DATE 2. LOCATION fs CONCLUSIONS
Ego ft sdestboro, llassachusebis 0 Wos Balloon
: 4.5 Jun ol celia £1 Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION 10 Possilly Osileon
: 20h 52115 , @ A 0 Was Aircraft
Local wire ven 0 Ground-Yisual 0 Ground-Radar 0 Probebly Aircraft
CMTE \L5Z sun OL 0 AirVisal GO Air-Intarcapt Radar iS Possiiny Alvaraty
E. 5. PHOTOS 6. SCURCE 0 Was Astronomical
0 Yes Seen 0 Probably Astronomical
1 5 No vivilian 0 Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF O35ZRYATION "3. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE SEE | SRA Gt ASA
FF O Insufficient Dota for Evaluation
3 20-30 minutes one Varied 0 Unknown
i 10. SRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING ET : 3
E ed lisht moving back and forth about 20 deg Flignt path and speed indicate light
3 elevation, At times cbject zlowed orange. a/c. Light possibly explained as
E rics a briliiant searchlight shown Irom landing lights, Witness stoted tha
] obirctand it's rays pointed coward at a a small airport was located in the
4 L5 dag angle were clearly visible, area of the sighting, Red light
3 assumed to be runnign lizht. As plane
i doy vary oe be onrrey var 1.09 4 vn moe on 2 4 pil aa LY
E LULTTIO LOMAIWU Wu 229 LL LVES Line
: impression of standing still, Only
3 .~ the lirhts were visible, Nothing to
8 indicate that this was other than
: | nisinterpretation of aircraft sichtin},
3 | an
3 ATIC FORM 329 (RIV 25 3EP 32)

/ 17

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28993166